TargetTalk

I currently have a simple champions choice shooting jacket that wasn't really fit for me personally. While it suits for now I am looking for a jacket that's customized to me and something more high quality and stiffer. Anyone know of a place to get these jackets that aren't insanely priced like 1,000 dollars like I've seen on 10.9's website
Thanks

Well....
If you are talking about MTM (made to measure) expect to pay what you consider to be insanely priced. About the best you might be able to do is find someone who still carries Korea Marksman House as from what I know they were about the least expensive. As with the least expensive of anything you might be really happy or really unhappy, that is a coin toss.

Otherwise, Sauer, Thune, Monard, Kustermann (AHG) (I am sure I missed one) have similar price points, that you consider insane. On the top of the heap is Mouche, never heard a bad word there but I expect you will find the prices somewhere about double insane.

Now, all kidding aside, call someone like Neal Stepp at International Shooter Service (817) 595-2090 he has a number of the off the shelf offerings from the same people who sell the MTM stuff. Expect to pay about double or more what you might for a Champions Choice offering. It should be higher quality (although the Champions Choice stuff offers good value for the dollar) if you land on one where the manufacturer has the average body type that match your real individual body you might come out pretty happy. Otherwise, open the wallet and insert the vacuum cleaner and pony up for MTM stuff.

As an, oh by the way, stiffness is regulated under ISSF/USAS rules so there is a limit to how much stiffer clothing you will be able to get.

'Dude

What I've always wondered was, why can't one take an off the rack budget double canvas coat and have it tailored by a specialist or perhaps even someone who does leather alterations?

@Adrian,
You can, but finding someone who can do the work AND understands the requirements and rules on a shooting jacket can be a tall order.

'Dude

adrianS wrote:What I've always wondered was, why can't one take an off the rack budget double canvas coat and have it tailored by a specialist or perhaps even someone who does leather alterations?

You can, that's exactly what I did with my shooting jacket. I am though in the UK where we have an excellent lady who does it for us. She is very well versed on the ISSF rules and does tailoring for our national squads as well. I don't know if you have anyone equivalent in the US, but a non shooting clothing expert would need to be very carefully instructed as to all the jacket rules and the clothing requirements for optimum shooting fit. So depending on the complexitiy of the job, you need to decide if it's worth the money / risk.

Rob.

Pippa does really well of us in the UK, and I know of a one of US junior shooters, who came over for the NSRA Junior International were considering coming back for a "holiday" to have one of Pippa's jackets done.

It surprises me that there is no one in the USA offering a similar service. I know that in the grand scheme of US shooting that ISSF smallbore, or even the US NRA smallbore match shooting is actually a very small community, but it must surely be big enough to support one or even a few businesses offering this sort of service to shooters, given the size of the USA.

Alan

Okay thank you! Is the expensive jackets actually worth the money I'd be paying? Cause if there's not much difference, Ill just buy a Champions Choice one that's newer and more fit to me

My daughter had an off the shelf jacket and pants for a couple years. I took the pants to a tailor to have the waist pulled in and the jacket modified to fix a bump over the left side of the chest that caused contact with the grip.

Cost about $40 total.

You might want to try talking to a good tailor in your area to see if they can do anything for you.

Bbryer33 wrote:Okay thank you! Is the expensive jackets actually worth the money I'd be paying? Cause if there's not much difference, Ill just buy a Champions Choice one that's newer and more fit to me

Part of the reason that expensive jackets cost more than cheap jackets is better quality components and stronger construction. To elaborate, a good quality jacket will have soft (usually suede or leather) inserts around the neck, where cheaper jackets still just have stiff canvas. Elbow rubber is another example; you pay more for top-grip, but it does last so much longer than the alternatives.

In short a good quality jacket (not necessarily the most expensive) will last longer than a cheap one.

Okay I'm thinking about the AHG "Match" Jacket from 10.9 shooting. Seems like a quality jacket that is similar to the one I have now, but something that'll be more fit to me